Zofia and Marcin will tell us a few words about what their work looks like in practice. Explore the story behind the Tauko chair, told by those who saw its origins.

We wondered how the designers would understand the needs we outlined in the brief. We were curious how they would respond and wanted to see if we share any of the notions.

What was it then that made the Tauko design by Mac Stopa different? Why are thousands of these chairs used in various  European countries?

 

A road not without bumps

When we started to work on this chair, it turned out that the design by Stopa cannot be wholly implemented in its original shape, because plywood would break when we tried to bend it with standard methods. That’s when the designer proposed another approach. Since he had experience working with this material, he came up with a new way of bending plywood sheets –  rather than use a single flat sheet we put together two “wings” of the seat.

Only a few selected versions were forwarded to the production stage. We chose the models that were best suited to office zones and could contribute some cosy, homely atmosphere to any workspace. Tauko chairs and modular tables are a good alternative to uncomfortable chairs and traditional seminar tables. Their modular construction, optimum tabletop size and easy assembly mean each participant of a training or meeting has their own single table, which can be joined to others or separated at will.

The Implementation Section at Nowy Styl is a team of experienced engineers who have been with us for years. Their everyday efforts are focused on supervising the production process, starting from the prototype to the model that is approved for production. But before a piece of furniture can actually be sold, the whole section oversees the entire technological process. Their meticulous calculations are used to define the time needed to cut, sew and assemble the upholstery. The engineers know how many metres of fabric should be used, how much foam filling goes into the seat and how many staples will reinforce the finished upholstery – they keep track of the demand to make sure all the materials are there to use.

The engineers work in the office, in front of their PC screens, in a familiar-looking open space setting. But they spend only half of their total working time there. The other half is prototyping and making models – that’s when they are busy cutting, assembling, sewing and upholstering. This means every engineer knows the basics of sewing. No need to say, this is a useful skill you can fall back on in your private life, too! Marcin admits he sometimes does some minor sewing at home, too. – Sewing is like driving a car – if you do it every day, it becomes automatic. But when you stop for a while, it starts to be a problem – says Marcin. That’s why at work he leaves sewing to experts. The same is true of upholstering. A lay person won’t recognize a prototype sewn and upholstered by an engineer, but we know the difference. Our specialists pay immense attention to detail and their work is highly accurate and attractive.

Project manager, product manager, constructor and engineer - this team works together from the very beginning. They start with the design. Using the design prepared by Mac Stopa, our designers, together with implementation technologists from a wood processing company, have developed the shape of the Tauko bucket seat and prepared the wooden frame. Then they designed what materials should be used for the seat and backrest, and then they designed the shape of upholstery to be used on the prototype.

After the first stage is over, you come up with another prototype and you continue until you’re happy with the results. It can take a dozen trials or so, especially when the shape is complicated. In order to make sure that the waves on the backrest are the same, so that each chair is identical, special steel templates were prepared with laser-cut openings. The seamstresses first draw the lines using the template, and then do the stitching.

The last stage is making the final prototype. If it’s approved, we can continue with implementation. This is when the engineer prepared process sheets, a list of operations to be completed (with specific timing), and job instructions (gluing, sewing, upholstering etc.). At this stage the engineer also calculates the standard amount of individual materials necessary to make a single chair. The fabrics often vary in reel width, pattern and stretch. We also check the packaging and once the chair is ready, it’s tested for stability and certified.

A few dozen people are involved in launching a single production line. First a pilot series is planned and if all goes well, the chair is launched in regular production.

– The engineer is still responsible for a product when it’s in the growth stage. We check whether the employees of each production shift know how to make a specific model. An engineer is a caregiver, supervisor and personal coach - all in one – adds Marcin with a smile.